Friday, January 25, 2008

More deception

I'm back in business. My (used) new computer desk collapsed the other day. So we had to make some repairs. The desk came from my parents house; as did ninety percent of the furniture in my house. My dad informed me that "furniture comes as is; no warranty; no guarantee; and certainly no returns." After $2.19 spent at the hardware store on brackets and screws, I'm back in business.

I thought I would give an update on the "Deceptively Delicious" situation.

As you can see from the picture, I have quite a collection of purees in my freezer. Every few days, I steam or bake something new to add to the puree box. It's really fun to see all those colorful veggies in my freezer; and it's especially fun to know that the kids are eating those veggies.

I think the kid's top picks would be the chocolate chip cookies and the chicken and rice soup. If you can believe it, the cookies had whole chick peas in them. There were not pureed - simply stirred into the batter and baked. The kids couldn't get enough of them. And I just had to let them have two for dessert.

Some of the recipes came from the cookbook. Some were my own recipes and I just added the puree.

I have come to learn that a picky eater is a tough hand to be dealt. My daughter is a fantastic eater, and she has gobbled up everything on the list above. Three of my four daycare kids have a sensitive palate. The pickiest eater wouldn't even touch the chicken nuggets - while everyone else ate them up. Was it the darker color? Was it the real chicken? Was it that they weren't shaped like dinosaurs?

What I know for sure - I'm sticking with the plan. I know I need more vegetables, and I even like vegetables standing alone, not hidden in a recipe. I know for sure that I will do my best to avoid the highly processed foods, the enriched white flour, and the sugar. I know that the kids I'm dealing with don't need to be aided with short bursts of "sugar energy."

I know that if you are looking for a way to improve your own nutrition and your family's at the same time, this is an excellent way to get started.